For many years, asbestos coatings were applied to otherwise exposed, structural steel building components, such as columns and joists for example, in order to protect the strength and integrity of these components in the event of fire. The coatings themselves commonly comprised asbestos fibers, infusorial earth or the like, and a binder material such as sodium silicate or Portland cement. However, modern building practices recognize the health hazard of exposed surfaces comprising asbestos as a potential source of dangerous air-borne asbestos particles. Accordingly, a variety of sealants have been developed in the past for use in establishing a non-shedding surface on the asbestos-coated structures. More recently, programs have been initiated for the total removal of all exposed asbestos coatings from public buildings such as schools, hospitals and sports arenas; and the removal procedures which have been practiced heretofore have comprised the steps of wetting down the in-place, asbestos installation with water, scraping away the loosened portion of the coating material, rewetting the newly-exoposed surface, re-scraping and then repeating the cycle until removal was accomplished. However, applicant have found that this latter procedure is unnecessarily time-consuming and costly in that repeated rewetting is required to complete the removal project.
Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved debilitant composition and a method for using the same in facilitating the de-installation of asbestos insulation coatings.
Another object of the invention is to provide a debilitant composition having an advantageously low evaporation rate.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a debilitant composition that is easy to apply, has deep penetration power, and is not adversely affected by the inorganic ions normally encountered in use.
These and other objects and features of the invention pertain to the particular materials and procedures whereby the foregoing objects are attained.